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Field Notes is a celebration of science and art in Grand Center. The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, the St. Louis Beacon, and St. Louis Public Radio invite guests to join us this weekend for a series of programs and exhibits that explore the ways the built environment and natural world interact.
Experts in the fields of art, geology, botany, architecture, design, archeology, and astronomy will lead programs that inspire a dynamic view of Grand Center. Field Notes offers guests of all ages an educational and fun opportunity to connect with new people and ideas, and engage with the city in surprising ways.

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Event Details

Field Notes:Friday, October 18

Bonfire
7:30 – 9:30 pm
Grass Lot Across the Street from The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts
3713 and 3719 Washington Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63108

Kick off Field Notes around a bonfire under the full moon. Archaeologist Dr. Timothy Pauketat will tell stories about “A Full Moon Over Cahokia Mounds 1000 Years Ago,” explaining the relationship between the structure of Cahokia Mounds and the lunar calendar, and how it wove into Cahokia’s goddess-based religion. Cahokia Archaeological President Larry Kinsella will exhibit a collection of archaeological tools and speak about their historical uses and materiality. Local farmer Rusty Lee will demonstrate how to prepare popping corn using agricultural tools. Join percussionists Dhati Kennedy and Laren Loveless in a drum circle to conclude the evening.

Field Notes:Saturday, October 19

Professor Kevin Fernlund will speak on the dynamic and fascinating history of science in St. Louis from the earliest days through the advancements of the 21st century. Dr. Fernlund is professor of history at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, specializing in the History of the American West, Exploration, and Big History. He is the author of Lyndon B. Johnson and Modern America (2009) and William Henry Holmes and the Rediscovery of the American West (2000) as well as the editor of Selected Historical Documents to Accompany America's History, Volume 2: Since 1865 (2011) and The Cold War American West, 1945 to 1989 (1998). He is currently doing research for a book on the evolution of Western culture in Latin and Anglo America.

Are you curious about the center of our solar system? View the sun safely through solar telescopes provided by the St. Louis Astronomical Society. Representatives from the SLAS will be on-hand to assist and educate guests about the unique make-up of this important star.

Rocks and Minerals Exhibit
10 – 5 pm
St. Louis Public Radio foyer
3651 Olive St.
St. Louis, MO 63108

Dr. Jill Pasteris and Robert Osburn of the Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis will present Field Notes participants an exhibition of rocks and minerals for discussion. Professor Jill Pasteris takes a traditional mineralogic-geologic approach to non-traditional materials. Much of her current research involves biomineralization, especially the mineral component of bones and teeth. Robert Osburn has 35 years experience as a field geologist working with rocks and geology in its natural setting.

The Science of Color
11:30 am
The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts
3716 Washington Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63108

Eleonora Nagy, conservator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, will demonstrate a color study using the objects on view in the Pulitzer exhibition Donald Judd: The Multicolored Works. Nagy is one of the leading conservators in the world dedicated to the work of Donald Judd. More than 20 three-dimensional objects and 30 works on paper comprise the first exhibition devoted exclusively to Judd’s heightened engagement with color.

Learn how to cook with ingredients from your own back yard. Chef and owner of Missouri Wild Edibles Ryan Maher will lead this cooking demo and share his experiences as an expertise forager. Space is limited and $10 registration is required. Please RSVP to Kristin Fleischmann Brewer atkfleischmann@pulitzerarts.org.

Join us on this unique community ride of Grand Center and downtown St. Louis, co-sponsored by Trailnet. Geologists Dr. John Encarnacion and Garrecht Metzger team up with historian Michael Allen to explain the complex intersections between the geologic and architectural histories of St. Louis. John Encarnacion is an associate professor of geology at Saint Louis University with expertise in tectonics, mineral deposits, and the origins of igneous and metamorphic rocks. J. Garrecht Metzger is a fifth year Ph.D. student studying sedimentary geology and geochemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. Michael Allen founded Preservation Research Office in 2009; his research has remained concerned with the impact of deindustrialization, population loss and postwar urban renewal projects on the preservation of historic urban landscapes.

Enjoy original roots and Americana music performed by the band Salt of the Earth. Salt of the Earth features Lynne Reif: guitar, harmonica, cajon, vocals; Mike Schrand: bass, baritone guitar, vocals; Jake Brookman: cello; and Jim Hieger: guitar, banjo. This Field Notes event is organized in conjunction with St. Louis Public Radio’s …And the Kitchen Sink series sponsored by Mosby Building Arts.

Field Notes:Sunday, October 20

Nature Reclaimed and Restored in Forest Park
Three individual tours start at 9:00 am
Meet in the lobby of the Visitor Center
5595 Grand Drive in Forest Park
St. Louis, MO 63112

Join Naturalist Peter VanLinn and two Forest Park Forever Nature Reserve Stewards on separate walking tours of three Forest Park environments. Drawing from their extensive experience in the field of ecology, Mr. VanLinn and docents will discuss the biodiverse systems that make up Forest Park. All three tours highlight protected areas of Forest Park and native species. Space is limited to 20 participants per tour. Please choose your tour from the list below, and email Bob Duffy at bduffy@stlbeacon.org with your choice. First come first served. A map showing specific meeting places and suggested adjacent parking areas will be sent to participants by email.

Saint Louis Art Museum docents will lead special tours that highlight artworks and architectural elements that connect with our local geology and geography. Among artworks to be discussed are Andy Goldsworthy’s installation Stone Sea and Richard Long’s Mississippi Circle, on view in the new East Building.

Bios

Dr. Timothy Pauketat is an archaeologist and professor of Anthropology and Medieval Studies at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He previously taught at the State University of New York in Buffalo and the University of Oklahoma. Professor Pauketat is interested in the study of ancient religion and urbanism, and has been excavating the pre-Columbian colonies and pilgrimage sites of the Cahokian civilization around St. Louis north into Wisconsin. The author or editor of a dozen scholarly books, Tim also writes for nonprofessional audiences, recently including a book entitled Cahokia: Ancient America's Great City on the Mississippi (Penguin, 2010).

Larry Kinsella is the Cahokia Archaeological Society President and a member of several other archaeological associations. He has taught classes and workshops at all levels, on such subjects as flintknapping, fire-making, bannerstones, stone axes, and experimental archaeology. He is the recipient of numerous awards including a Public Service Award from the Illinois Archaeological Survey. He recently published his essay “The Bannerstone: A Prehistoric Prey-Specific Artifact for Use in the Eastern Woodlands of North America” in the scientific journal “Ethnoarchaeology” (2013).

Eleonora Eva Nagy is a New York based Conservator specialized in the treatment of Modern and Contemporary Sculptures. She divides her time between her private practice, Modern Sculpture Conservation, an LLC with international clientele and the Whitney Museum of American Art, where she serves as Conservator for Three-dimensional Works of Art. She is a recognized Donald Judd specialist, a topic she publishes and lectures on extensively, and is a founding member of the Conservation Committee for the Donald Judd Foundation. Her other interests include industrial history, modern metals, Minimalism, Paul Thek and Alexander Calder.

Ryan Maher is chef and owner of Missouri Wild Edibles. Ryan forages all over the country for mushrooms, greens, and other wild plants.

John Encarnacion is an Associate Professor of Geology at Saint Louis University with expertise in tectonics, mineral deposits, and the origins of igneous and metamorphic rocks. He has over forty peer-reviewed publications and serves on journal editorial boards and review committees. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geology from the University of the Philippines and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Prior to coming to St. Louis he was the Byrd Fellow at the Byrd Polar Research Center at Ohio State University. His research has taken him to the Philippines, China, Madagascar, southern Africa, Iceland, and Antarctica.

J. Garrecht Metzger is a fifth year Ph.D. student studying sedimentary geology and geochemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. Garrecht was raised in northwest Florida and hardly spent any time around rocks until he went to college in upstate South Carolina. Upon moving to the Midwest he became struck by the wealth of important events in Earth history that are captured in the local rocks, and has dedicated the past four years to their study. When he isn’t locked in lab, traveling for work, or writing papers, Garrecht spends his time playing music (guitar, bass, drums) and attending concerts.

Architectural historian Michael Allen founded Preservation Research Office in 2009. Previously, Michael served as Research Associate and then Assistant Director at Landmarks Association of St. Louis. The Preservation Research Office synthesizes Allen’s professional expertise and practice in public architectural history, started in 2003 when he began writing the widely-read blog Ecology of Absence. Allen’s research has remained concerned with the impact of deindustrialization, population loss and postwar urban renewal projects on the preservation of historic urban landscapes. In recent years, Michael has lectured on architectural history and historic preservation at Washington University in St. Louis, New York University, St. Louis University and other institutions.

Salt of the Earth began out of the ashes of defunct alt-country group Belle Starr in early 2003, when guitarist and vocalist Lynne Reif and then guitarist Mike Schrand agreed to start a new musical project, based around the idea of a roster of almost all original roots and Americana music. Work then began on the first release, "Against the Muse" with engineer/producer Mike Martin at The Broom Factory. Shortly after the January 2005 release of "Against the Muse", cellist Jake Brookman became a full-time member of SOTE, making the band a "roots string quartet". In early 2006, Jim Hieger joined as the full time lead guitarist and banjoist in SOTE. In summer 2006, the band went back to The Broom Factory to record their second release with Mike Martin. "These New Days" was released in January 2007. SOTE has been playing live steadily, and has built an over 100 song roster of original material, and a few cover songs to boot. SOTE's third album, "So Sing to Me" was released on November 7th, 2009 and is available at a show, at iTunes or at CDBaby.com.

Dr. Kevin Fernlund is professor of history at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, specializing in the History of the American West, Exploration, and Big History. He is the author of Lyndon B. Johnson and Modern America (2009) and William Henry Holmes and the Rediscovery of the American West (2000) as well as the editor of Selected Historical Documents to Accompany America's History, Volume 2: Since 1865 (2011) and The Cold War American West, 1945 to 1989 (1998). He is currently doing research for a book on the evolution of Western culture in Latin and Anglo America. Between 2006 and 2012, Dr. Fernlund served as the Executive Director of the Western History Association and is currently a member of the WHA’s Financial Advisory Board. He received a Fulbright Fellowship and spent a year in Hanoi, Vietnam (2001-2002). Before pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico, he taught social studies at Coconino High School in Flagstaff, Arizona, and at Tuba City High School on the Navajo Indian Reservation. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Arizona University, after graduating in 1977 from Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Arizona.

Professor Jill Pasteris takes a traditional mineralogic-geologic approach to non-traditional materials. Much of her current research involves biomineralization, especially the mineral component of bones and teeth. She is part of an interdisciplinary biomineralization group that includes scientists from the physics department as well as from the Schools of Engineering and Medicine at Washington University. Professor Pasteris and her students apply Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and electron microscopy and microprobe analysis to determine the size, shape, mechanical properties, and composition of biological apatite (a calcium phosphate mineral) and its synthetic analogs.

Robert Osburn has 35 years experience as a field geologist working with rocks and geology in its natural setting. He brings the expertise and backup skills necessary to maintain a high level of profession energy in Earth and Planetary Sciences. As laboratory administrator and the go-to person for building and maintenance considerations, Mr. Osburn is responsible for such diverse facilities and activities as teaching labs; field trips; building maintenance problems; renovations; office furniture; lab equipment and supplies; keys, audio visual equipment; and purchase orders for new teaching lab equipment and supplies.

Peter VanLinn III joined Forest Park Forever in October, 2011. He came to St. Louis from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he received his master’s degree in environmental science. He focused on modeling wildfire potential in the Southwest United States. VanLinn has considerable experience in the field of ecology, having worked with the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service in the mountains and deserts of the southwest, to work in the forests, prairies, and watersheds of Wisconsin working for the that state’s Department of Natural Resources. VanLinn is originally from Wisconsin. He received his B.S. in environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. His focus is in Ecosystem Management and Restoration.